▲ 62 r/garbagepailkids
21/25 orange sapphire Haunted Forrest
Was just gifted this for my Haunted Forrest rainbow by an amazing friend from the gpk community
u/Gzusluvz — 6 days ago
Made a free ADU cost calculator after spending weeks trying to figure out what ours would actually cost
We've been planning a detached ADU on our property in Southern California and I was frustrated by how hard it was to get a real cost estimate without talking to a contractor first.
Every article I found gave ranges like "$80,000 to $350,000" which is basically useless when you're trying to decide whether to even move forward.
So I built a calculator that breaks it down by ADU type (detached, garage conversion, attached), square footage, and location. It factors in permits, site prep, and finishes — not just construction costs — and gives you a low/mid/high estimate with line items so you can see where the money actually goes.
It's completely free. I also put together a planning pack with a permit checklist (covers 20 CA counties), a contractor bid worksheet, and a financing guide if anyone wants more detail.
Free calculator in the comments
u/Gzusluvz — 16 days ago